Campus Security Awareness Campaign 2018
This post is part of a larger campaign designed to support security professionals and IT communicators as they develop or enhance their security awareness plans. View all 12 monthly blog posts with ready-made content by visiting our security awareness resource page.
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes out there, and it can take a lot of time, effort, and money to recover from this sort of crime. Strong passwords, passphrases, or multifactor authentication provide a barrier between our community members and their personal information. Help increase awareness of passwords and passphrases on campus by customizing and sharing the following content.
Get the Word Out
Newsletter or Website Content
Your passwords are the key to a host of information about you, and potentially those close to you. If someone can access your personal information, it can have serious long-term effects—and not just online! Follow these recommendations from the World Password Day website to protect your identity while making the Internet more secure for everyone:
- Use a passphrase instead of a password. Passphrases are usually 16 characters or more and include a combination of words or short sentence that is easy to remember (e.g., MaryHadALittleLamb!)
- Use a fingerprint or biometric requirement to sign in when available. This provides an extra layer of protection for devices and apps.
- Request single-use authentication codes that can be sent to your phone or delivered by an app.
- Take advantage of whatever multifactor authentication methods are available for your service. Learn more [https://www.lockdownyourlogin.org/] about adding MFA to any account.
- Use a password manager or password vault software to help keep track of all your passwords and avoid password reuse.
Figure 1. Use this image to support your message
Social Posts
Note: These are Twitter-ready, meeting the 140-character length restriction.
- Protect your online identity & #LayerUp—use multifactor authentication when available! #StrongPasswords #CyberAware
- A 16+ character passphrase is stronger & easier to remember than an 8-character password with weird characters. #StrongPasswords #CyberAware
- Check out https://www.passwordday.org/ for more info on how to protect your identity with #StrongPasswords. #CyberAware
- Treat every day like Password Day and #LayerUp your login to make the Internet a more secure place. #StrongPasswords #CyberAware
- Here are 6 simple steps to gain peace of mind & more control over your online security: [https://www.lockdownyourlogin.org/] #StrongPasswords #CyberAware
E-Mail Signature
Ask staff members to add a tip to their e-mail signature block and link to your institution's information security page.
Example:
Jane Doe
Information Security Office
XYZ College
A strong password or multifactor authentication is powerful protection against cybercrimes like identity theft and social media account hijacking. Learn more. [Link "Learn more." to your institution's information security department page or the World Password Day website.]
Embed or Share Videos
World Password Day (0:57 sec)
World Password Day: How Do You Remember All of Your Passwords? (2:42 min)
Resources
Share these resources with end users or use them to inform your awareness strategy:
- Leverage the content and resources available on the World Password Day website and Lock Down Your Login website [https://www.lockdownyourlogin.org/].
- Read these CNET reviews of password managers.
- View a list of sites that support two-factor authentication.
- See our previous Campus Security Awareness Campaign blogs about passwords: May 2017: Step Up to Stronger Passwords and September 2016: Will Your Password Be Unbroken?
Brought to you by the Awareness and Training Working Group of the EDUCAUSE Higher Education Information Security Council (HEISC).